The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory Science Inquiry Model

http://www.nwrel.org/msec/science_inq/

"Inquiry is the set of behaviors involved in the struggle of human beings for reasonable explanations of phenomena about which they are curious."
-Alfred Novak, Scientist

What features make up scientific Inquiry...

An inquiry investigation is a complex task in which students are asked to think as scientists-to ask a testable question about the world they have experienced, to generate quality data, to evaluate these data and use them to answer the question they have posed. There are four phases to an inquiry investigation:

• Connecting: A teacher may introduce phenomenon and gives students time to explore, build knowledge and link their observations to previous understandings. They should be invited to create or refine questions to investigate

• Designing: Students design a method for collecting their data to answer their questions. During this time, teachers should give students time for a trial and error run of their methods for collecting data.

• Investigating: This process allows a student to collect, organize and display their data. Time is allowed for students to revise their procedures and recordings if needed. During this period, it is important for teachers to model multiple ways for presenting data and the usefulness of each in answering specific questions. Students should be asked to follow with presenting their data in the most appropriate method.

• Constructing Meaning: This is the process of analyzing the data that is collected by examining patterns and trends in the data & using them to formulate explanations. This also requires students to examine the quality of data produced & evaluating its usefulness for answering the questions. In addition, students should be asked to explain problems that may have occurred during data solution and possible solutions.

Creating an Inquiry Classroom....

• Engage Students in designing the learning environment
• Reflect on the nature of inquiry
• Integrate science labs into a regular classday
• Use Inquiry in Mathematics
• Use management strategies to facilitate inquiry
• Share Control

What teachers should do....

• Identify important concepts students will investigate
• Plan the Inquiry
• Present the Inquiry
• Solicit student input to narrow the focus of the inquiry
• Initiate and orchestrate discussion
• Ask prompting & probing questions, pursue student's divergent comments & questions when appropriate
• Guide student's learning in order to get at the core of the content
• Provide opportunities for all students to demonstrated their learning by presenting a product or making a public presentation

What students do....

• Contribute to the planning of an inquiry investigation
• Observe and explore
• Experiment and solve problems
• Work both as team members and alone
• Reason logically, pose questions
• Confer & Debate their own ideas & develop ideas collaboratively
• Make logical arguments & construct explanations
• Test their own hypotheses
• Communicate findings
• Reflect on feedback from peers & the teacher
• Consider alternative explanations
• Retry experiments, problems & projects